Free Spirit of Inquiry

During my years as a student and teacher on the spiritual path, I’ve been learning to more deeply embody the teaching of many great masters. To me they seem to be saying that In order to fully realize the truth of our being, all we need is to allow the power of our innate spirit of inquiry to fully express itself. With the encouragement of several friends on the path, I decided to start a blog entitled Free Spirit of Inquiry. One very powerful aspect of our spirit of inquiry is its freedom. Our spirit of inquiry is free in that it arises together with the free presence that is always here and now; there is no separation. Presence has no boundaries of width or height, space or time, and is free of all conceptual labels. And it is free in the sense that it is free of the confinement of thought altogether. This means also being free to include thought. Our spirit of inquiry enables us to freely ask the deep questions about life; who or what am I really? Is there an actual entity that we call me? What is the actual substance of the awareness that manifests the world, that manifests the idea of me? The ultimate question is to ask deeply: What is it really?

At first it may seem that our deep asking is just with the mind. But by continuing the inquiry with perseverance, determination, and courage in the face of life’s difficulties, this impression changes. Life becomes a river carrying us to the sea. Through meditation, contemplative prayer, and other devotional practices, we may eventually sense the mysterious power of our whole being guiding our inquiry into true nature, the source of all things. We continue cultivating the power of deep surrender of our attachment to our personal views, and agree to be guided from within by a power that lovingly knows, and unconditionally welcomes all of our experience from inside.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage and stimulate the development of the spirit of inquiry of the participants. If people are moved to comment and/or offer suggestions, I will make an effort to address them. May we all learn to more fully embody the spirit we actually are. May we all continue to develop the abilities to share love, kindness, and understanding as we support each on the path of never ending self discovery.

Editors note: This is a piece Shikan Hawkins wrote months ago that he has sent for publication today. Thich Nhat Hanh has since returned home to Plum Village following rehabilitation. Some of you may be aware that Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a serious stroke recently. He remains in a coma, still breathing on his own. He has ...

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Established in 2009 as a grassroots initiative, Sweeping Zen is a digital archive of information on Zen Buddhism. Featuring in-depth interviews, an extensive database of biographies, news, articles, podcasts, teacher blogs, events, directories and more, this site is dedicated to offering the public a range of views in the sphere of Zen Buddhist thought. We are also endeavoring to continue creating lineage charts for all Western Zen lines, doing our own small part in advancing historical documentation on this fabulous import of an ancient tradition. Come on in with a tea or coffee. You're always bound to find something new.

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